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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · plane · board · wake · mine · swing

  1. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. board — to get on
  3. swing — music
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. swing — in golf
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. plane — a tool
  15. mine — for digging
  16. wake — a trail
  17. swing — to play on
  18. plane — in geometry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com